Without mentioning his predecessor’s name, President Joe Biden criticized former President Donald Trump while visiting a Ford Motor Co. plant in Dearborn on Tuesday, saying Trump’s rollback of fuel standards delayed an inevitable move to electric vehicles.
Biden, visiting southeastern Michigan for the first time as president ahead of Ford’s unveiling of its all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup on Wednesday, also said Trump let key tax credits to encourage electric vehicle sales expire and never came through with a much-promised plan to fund improvements to roads, bridges and other infrastructure.
“(They) didn’t do a damn thing,” he said of Trump’s administration. “They didn’t get the job done.”
While president, Trump had moved to reduce or freeze targets to force automakers to increase fuel efficiency, setting off a legal fight with California and other states. With Biden signaling his administration will put gas mileage goals back in place, electric vehicles sales are expected to be a key part of automakers hitting those goals in the future.
Biden also has called for $174 billion to be included in his own infrastructure bill to go toward helping to install some 500,000 charging stations nationwide and encouraging manufacturers and consumers to adopt electric vehicles. That said, some Republicans are wary of the plans and incentives, with electric vehicles so far making up only a small portion of the cars on U.S. highways.
Speaking before Biden, Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford called the unveiling of the new F-150 — America’s best-selling vehicle — “a defining moment” in the history of both the company and the U.S. as it battles climate change. “It ushers in a cleaner future for our country,” Ford said.
He also told Biden, who introduced himself at the event as “a car guy,” “I promise you it’s going to give your Corvette a run for its money,”
In his 25-minute speech, Biden said it’s not only vital for the U.S. to adopt electric vehicles as a way to cut greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change but to ensure that those vehicles are made in America by union workers. UAW President Rory Gamble was among those speaking ahead of Biden, who has made no bones about his advocacy for union jobs being connected to the fight against climate change.
But Biden noted that much of the battery technology and associated supply chains vital to electric cars is controlled by Chinese companies, a circumstance he said must change or American manufacturers — and workers — will lose out.
“Right now, China is leading in this race,” he said. “It’s a fact… We can’t let that be sustained… They think they’re going to win. Well, I’ve got news for them. They will not win this race. We won’t let them.”
Biden meets with Tlaib, Dingell on landing in Michigan
Biden landed at Detroit Metro Airport on Air Force One shortly before noon and was met by Democratic U.S. Reps. Debbie Dingell of Dearborn and Rashida Tlaib of Detroit, who spent some time talking to the president about the violence in the Middle East — before Biden left to meet with Ford Motor officials.
Tlaib is the only Palestinian-American in the Congress and has been among those sharply criticizing Israel for the rocket attacks and other violence involving Palestinians in Gaza and parts of Israel. It wasn’t immediately known what Tlaib and the president spoke about but comments made by Biden in his speech suggested it was about the Middle East situation.
Tlaib’s grandmother lives in the West Bank, which is controlled by Israel, and Biden mentioned her family in saying he hoped they were safe. “I promise I’ll do everything I can to make sure they are,” he said. “I admire your intellect… I admire your compassion,” Biden said to her.
Dearborn, where Ford’s electric facility is located, is also home to one of the largest Arab-American communities in the U.S. and criticism of Israel is running high.
Tlaib’s office confirmed they spoke about the situation in the Middle East and that she told him “Palestinian human rights are not a bargaining chip and must be protected, not negotiated.”
Biden has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he supports a cease-fire but critics of Israel’s actions say the U.S. should be doing more to protect the rights of Palestinians, who are bearing the brunt of the violence. In a letter sent to Biden, Imad Hamad, executive director of the American Human Rights Council in Dearborn, asked the president to “act swiftly, fairly and justly to end the human suffering that the Israeli war on Gaza is imposing on its population… The goal of the Israeli war is to harm the (Palestinian) population and terrorize it. This is an illegal and immoral war.”
There were several protests in Dearborn around Biden’s visit and his administration’s continued support for Israel. Biden has made clear that he believes Israel has a right to defend itself from rocket attacks and other violent acts from Hamas, the group that controls Gaza and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S.
That said, the Biden administration said it is trying to find a resolution to the current outbreak of violence. His press secretary, Jen Psaki, said Wednesday morning that much of the discussions going on to end the violence were happening — and would continue to happen — outside of public view. “Sometimes diplomacy has to happen behind the scenes,” she said.
Knowing that the Arab-American community in Dearborn was angry, a senior adviser of Biden’s, former U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond, held a call with community leaders on Monday night.
More: Joe Biden in Dearborn live updates: Protests expected outside President’s speech
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Electrifying Ford truck series an important signal
Electrifying Ford’s F-series of trucks is a big deal, given that they’re the best-selling vehicles in the country, and could be a game-changer in terms of getting the public to buy into — and buy — electric vehicles, which still make up a small percentage of vehicles on the roads in the U.S.
Ford’s big reveal is scheduled to be livestreamed from the company’s world headquarters in Dearborn at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. Biden’s visit, which was encouraged by Dingell, among others, was timed to underscore the importance of the new F-150 and push for passage of Biden’s infrastructure bill
On Tuesday morning, the White House put out a fact sheet reiterating that the infrastructure bill, which faces an uncertain path in the Senate, makes investments to encourage electric vehicle adoption.
Members of Biden’s administration, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, also were headed to Capitol Hill Tuesday to discuss Republican counterproposals. Environmental groups, meanwhile, were pushing to make sure the administration keeps its proposed investment in electric vehicles, especially at a time when the International Energy Agency is saying in a new report that if the world is to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the switch to electric vehicles being the only ones sold in the years to come is key.
“The future of the (auto) industry is electric. Everyone will tell you that,” Psaki said. “That’s where the jobs are and that’s where the future of the auto industry is.”
Some of those coming to the plant with Biden wanted to make sure Michigan remains a central player in the automotive future, especially with batteries becoming such a key component and much of the supply chains that feed that industry spread around the world and around the country.
“I’m going to push him to prioritize Michigan jobs,” said U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Rochester Hills. “This (change to electric vehicles) is not a light switch. This is not going to happen overnight… There are steps we can take now that won’t lead to a slow bleed of jobs.”
Contact Todd Spangler at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @tsspangler. Read more on Michigan politics and sign up for our elections newsletter. Staff writers Niraj Warikoo and Miriam Marini contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Biden blasts Trump for rolling back fuel standards, says future of autos is electric
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China is leading the race for the electric vehicle?. Hey Joe, how is China going to power their electric vehicles? Oh, through coal powered plants, with no pollution controls. Global Warming, Joe? Hey Joe, battery cases are made of plastic. Where does plastic come from, Joe? Oh, plastic is manufactured from oil and natural gas. Joe, where are the chemicals / minerals going to come from for the batteries? Oh, the minerals used in batteries are going to come from China. Joe, in order to mine for minerals, mining, according to the environmentalists causes pollution, right Joe? Also, in order to mine, energy is needed to dig into the ground and into stone. Where is this energy going to come from, Joe the environmentalist? Joe, where is the energy going to come from to manufacture the batteries? Where is the energy going to come from for the charging stations, Joe? With all renewable / clean energy Joe, there will not be enough electricity to power cars and our society (stoves, heat , air conditioning, lights etc.) Oh, Joe don’t worry, by then we will all be living in the caves, because of all the clean energy, that cannot provide enough electricity for a functioning society.
How dare you confuse him with facts… 🙂
“Right now, China is leading in this race,” he said. “It’s a fact… We can’t let that be sustained… They think they’re going to win. Well, I’ve got news for them. They will not win this race. We won’t let them.” – Uncle Cho Bai Din
Wait a second here! I thought our esteemed puppet said that China was NOT a competitor. Or is it just THIS race they “won’t win”?
Hey Cho!, Tell your handlers to make up your mind.
IF he really thinks “electric” is the way to go.. FINE YOU START> Convert every vehicle in the white house fleet, to being electric vehicles… THEN COME BACK and tell US the citizens, we need to change.
The problem with electric cars is the very limited range, so far the best range is the Tesla T3 others can barely make 200 miles if that much, then where is the power going to come from to charge the cars and trucks, that power does not grow on trees. To charge an electric car or truck from solar can take the better part of a day, we still need power plants for not just charging stations but for other important buildings as well. Some of these politicians think that an electric car can go across the country without stopping they are as nutty as a fruitcake.
Musk and company do not have a fully recyclable battery which means when a battery is spent, it is stored like nuclear fission material. These green cars are not green and they cost more than a traditional vehicle which means only the rich elitists and democrat leftists/ party can afford one. The rest of us would have to live in a 300 sq ft cubicle in the city relying on mass transportation. No thanks.
Pity we can’t run them on pure Bull.. CONGRESS puts out enough we should be able to run them for thousands of miles!
Biden, you don’t have a leg to stand on for blasting Trump for anything. So, have you switched the Presidential motorcade over to Priuses, yet? Are you still using Air Force One? Is Mr Kerry still flying around in his plane? Are any of you people making any money off of the oil industry? If YOU want electric, Joe—go get it. We the people deserve to choose for ourselves.
This all sounds well and good, BUT, in the end will they just as reliable as current technology? Most people I know who drive trucks give them pretty heavy duty workouts. Will these be able to sustain the same range, operate the attached equipment without flagging in the midst of a job. What about the availability of the battery technology, these use rare earth elements not available in the U.S., they need to be imported, some from China which is the only source. Affordability is another real concern, since no prace has been quoted, the average truck consumer might not be able to afford the vehicles. There are too many if’s since the technology isn’t that much different from Great Grandma’s 1909 Columbia Electric!
AND most of those rare-earth mines, are in countries WHICH USE CHILD SLAVE labor to get.
Many of the technologies that quid-pro-joe is pushing are not reliable to the extent that they need to be, heavy duty vehicles will have to stay with the diesel fuels. What the quid-pro-joe is doing is the exact same thing that bamba boy tried to pull, that being forcing the people into what the government wants. Just remember that the quid-pro-joe is not just a DICTATOR but a communist as well, he has proven time and again just how much he hates this country.
You’re assuming that Joe really gives a flying Wuhan-bat’s behind about any of this. It isn’t about efficiency or cost-effectiveness or affordability. It’s about POWER — and I don’t mean electrical power.
Exactly. HE Cancelled the Keystone pipeline “Cause of greenhouse emissions”. YET IS CONDOING THE RUSSIANS building a pipeline.. Go figure.
electricity = fossil fuels
wind and solar are a pipe dream.
Sarcassm to follow.
There are three pipeline issues since January that has/is compromising our life. Think green before you respond.
The third bank closure just happened in my neighborhood. Think dogecoin before you respond.
The third grocery store closed in my neighborhood. Think Aldi und Lidl before you respond.
Solar panel fields that reflect sunlight and do not let the ground absorb the sun’s rays. Think climate with a touch of green.
Electric vehicles, where it is cheaper to mine the chemicals needed for batteries, than to recycle (which is 5 times more) battery material and a ROI of 8 to 10 years before it saves air pollution to stop what gas cars do (then you have to replace the battery). Think Erin Brockovich with a touch of green.
Blame the Russians. Emergency. Everybody to get from streets.
Blame Trump. Why he created the biggest insurrection since Hitler.
Blame the racist white people. See Black lives matter for further information.
Least, we forget that Covid just happened to occur without any money from Fauci and friends.
I am beginning to see a pattern here as well as a plethora of other tail wagging the dog scenarios.
Allowing China to be the leader does not mean much to the “big guy” as this will make him richer as well as his son. It take money to pay for those necessities of living even if some are not quite legal.
Democrats can more easily control the freedom of the population with electric cars. No one can afford them . The power conversions of wind/solar/fossil/nuclear to mechanical to electrical to transmissions to transformers to chemical to electrical to mechanical is an enormous waste of energy efficiency. Summer cooling and winter heating from batteries also diminish the capacity of a charge. Want a vacation? Stay close to home–those 2 hour rest stop/refueling bits will put a damper on movement. Wait till the grid gets hacked and there is NO available “fuel” for transport of workers, services, and goods. Democrats know what they are doing. By the way . . wait till that monthly electric bill comes in . ..
That’s a great point. HOW WILL joe average even FINANCIALLY BE able to buy these costly electric cars?!